Dream Life Vol 3 Chapter 11.2: “Blacksmith’s Guild Welburn Branch: Part 1”

~Jonathan’s Perspective~

　Frustrated, I finally arrived at the branch manager’s office, skipped even knocking, and walked right in.

　Here, at last, an overly heavy burden was lifted from my shoulders.

　But I had another task waiting for me.

　I had to deal with his companion and his luggage. Besides, I would have to brief the blacksmiths on the ground floor.

　With renewed energy, I started running again. As I ran, I prioritized the tasks in my mind, and based on that, I sent out instructions to my colleagues who had shown up.

“Mr. Zacharias Lockhart is here! Help me get the stuff into the meeting room! Also, help me deal with the blacksmiths!” (Jonathan)

　Normally, I, a young man, should not be giving orders. And I should be polite to the seniors as usual, not giving them commands, but I don’t have time to worry about that right now. First of all, the senior staff was surprised to hear Mr. Lockhart’s name, and they were no longer in a position to criticize me.

　Like me, the staff members are flying down to the first floor. But the blacksmiths went upstairs as if to run counter to them.

　I made my way through the thick crowd to Mr. Lockhart’s companion, who was waiting outside.

　When I got outside, I found a wagon with five men and women who appeared to be adventurers waiting around it.

　I approached the woman, a tiger-beastfolk, who seemed to be the most experienced of the five.

“Are you with Mr. Zacharias Lockhart’s party?” (Jonathan)

　The female tiger-beastfolk said, “Yes, what’s going on?” The woman seemed concerned about Mr. Lockhart, who did not seem to be coming out of the office.

“Nothing in particular. …Mr. Lockhart has instructed me to bring the wagonloads of goods into the meeting room on the first floor. Which ones should we carry?” (Jonathan)

　To my question, she replies, “You can carry all of them… actually, we’ll carry them, just tell us where.” But a dozen or so of my colleagues had already arrived and were waiting behind me for instructions.

“That’s not fast enough. Everyone, we are going to carry everything in. Quickly, please!” (Jonathan)

　My colleagues quickly removed the luggage from the wagons.

　Mr. Lockhart’s colleagues, including the tiger-beastfok woman, were taken aback by the sight.

　There were swords, spears, and armor enough for dozens of people.

　And in the back, a rather small liquor barrel was sitting solidly.

　My intuition told me that this was the cause of this incident, and I shouted, “Please carry the barrel carefully! Please be extremely careful!”

　The barrel was carefully placed on a cart.

　The faces of the staff working on the barrel were all pale, and even the veteran staff members’ hands were shaking.

　The liquor barrel was carefully loaded onto carts.

　The faces of the employees who were holding on to the barrel were all pale, and even the veteran employees’ hands were shaking.

　I gave instructions again in a hoarse voice, “Be careful! You can take your time!”

　If there had been only four or five people carrying the barrels, they might have dropped them. That is how shaky his hands were. However, the staff members of the blacksmith’s guild were determined not to drop the barrel, and one by one, those nearby lent a helping hand.

　In the end, some even got under the barrel and tried to cushion themselves. If I dropped the barrel… at that moment, a chill would run down my back. I shook my head and shook the thought off.

　The barrel was safely placed on the cart. After the entire staff exhaled in relief, the cart was slowly carried into the building.

　Before I realized it, a crowd of dwarves had formed.

　Without realizing it, I was shouting, “Move aside, please! This is Mr. Lockhart’s liquor barrel! We can’t let anything happen to it!”

　Perhaps my cries did not reach him, but a blacksmith was standing in the path of the barrel.

“You there! You’re in the way!” (Jonathan)

　I shouted loudly.

　Normally, I would never use such a commanding tone with the blacksmiths, and I would get a lot of flak from my seniors, not to mention the blacksmiths if I spoke to them this way.

　At that moment, no one blamed me, and even the usually proud blacksmith apologized and moved out of the way for me.

　He carried the barrels of sake along with the weapons into the meeting room and then ordered his colleagues nearby to prepare the mugs for the banquet.

“Prepare the usual mugs we use at general meetings! Please do so–immediately! Also, I know they’re not here, but if there are any masters who haven’t arrived yet, please call them right away!” (Jonathan)

　Without hearing my colleague’s reply, I was running upstairs to the branch manager’s office.

　I reported to the branch manager that I had brought in the luggage.

　I slumped to the spot, knowing that all I had to do was now done.

　I couldn’t keep slumping. Because there were more than ten blacksmiths around me, watching what was going on in the branch manager’s office.

　I could not hear them, but they seemed to say the word “scotch”. And before I could stop them, they quickly entered the branch manager’s office.

　Although I thought it was unpleasant, I decided to take action to prevent further confusion.

　I ordered the blacksmiths who couldn’t fit in the room to go to the meeting room on their own.

“I have just brought a barrel of liquor, with the Lockhart family crest on it, into the meeting room! Perhaps the branch manager will also instruct us to gather in the meeting room! Everyone, please head to the meeting room first!” (Jonathan)

　The blacksmiths’ eyes lit up at the mention of the Lockhart family crest. Then, obediently following my words, they went downstairs.

　Even though it was an emergency evacuation action, I regretted what I had just said.

　If that barrel could not yet be opened, my life as a guild staff would end here.

　Dwarven blacksmiths rarely raise their hands to anyone other than their apprentices, but I have heard that when liquor is involved, they change.

　In Ars – the royal capital of the Kingdom of Caum, home to the headquarters of the Blacksmiths’ Guild–not only did they throw out the Light Gods officials who interfered with the transport of the scotch, they also threw out a bishop of the Holy Kingdom of Lux. They even changed the head of the pope of the Lux Holy Kingdom, the Patriarch of the Light God Church. There is no way I, a mere staff member, can continue to work for this guild.

　It would be fine if that were all, but being resented by the dwarves would be fatal to me as a staff member. If I were a mercenary or adventurer it wouldn’t matter much, but if I were to live as a merchant, it would mean that I would have to give up life in the big city. Of course, I will also have to leave Welburn.

　I noticed that the branch manager entered the meeting room accompanied by Mr. Lockhart.

　And after a few moments, a roar of celebration echoed from within. At that moment, I knew I had won my bet.

　After that, I sat in front of the meeting room, mulling things over in a daze.

　A  patrolling knight, who had heard the roars, came to ask me what was going on, but other than that, no problems occurred. Then, after I heard the serious voices of the masters, they seemed be in a banquet. What they discussed inside I had no idea, nor was I interested.

　I was thinking about what I had just done.

　I listened to the cheerful voices of the blacksmiths leaking out of the assembly room, and I was chewing on the sense of accomplishment I had achieved in completing a difficult task.